Foulquier's knee says 'enough' as Valencia defender faces uncertain spell on sidelines
Dimitri Foulquier's troublesome knee has finally given way, with Valencia's right-back now facing an indefinite period out after missing the Real Madrid clash.
Valencia’s defensive options have taken another hit as Dimitri Foulquier’s problematic knee finally forces him into an extended spell on the treatment table, leaving Carlos Corberán short of right-back options at a crucial stage of the season.
Playing through pain
The French defender has been soldiering on like a proper trooper for much of the campaign, with reports emerging that he’s been dealing with significant knee issues for weeks. The poor bloke’s joint has been giving him gyp due to instability causing fluid buildup, which becomes proper painful after matches and extends his recovery time between fixtures.
It turns out the knee finally said “no más” (that’s my limited Spanish for ya) just before the Real Madrid clash, with Foulquier ruled out on the eve of the game when it became clear he couldn’t perform even with his usual pain tolerance.
Corberán spills the beans
It was actually Valencia gaffer Corberán who let the cat out of the bag about the severity of the situation. After taking some stick from the home crowd about his substitutions against Madrid, he explained his tactical switch was partly due to managing Thierry Rendall’s minutes, saying he couldn’t risk Valencia’s only fit right-back option “because without Foulquier, who’s going to be out for some time…”
This isn’t the first time Foulquier’s knee has caused him to miss significant action. Earlier this season, the same troublesome joint kept him out of the Girona match and subsequently sidelined him for nearly two months.
Treatment begins, timeline unclear
The 31-year-old was spotted at Valencia’s Paterna training complex on Tuesday beginning conservative treatment to rehabilitate the knee. Currently:
- No official medical report has been issued by the club
- No return timeline has been established
- All recovery scenarios remain on the table
With Thierry Rendall just returning from his own muscle injury and Iranzo also unavailable, Corberán faces a proper headache at right-back in the coming weeks. Talk about being caught short in defence - that’s enough to give any manager the right hump!